Predicting NBA's Christmas Day schedule for 2024

Christmas Day has arguably the best regular season games of the entire year. The only other games that compare are opening day, the In-Season Tournament, and the final stretch of games with playoff implications. Part of the reason the games are so fun is that they're one of the biggest stages for teams to showcase the best talent across the league. Last year, five MVP winners and all four previous NBA champions played.

Revisiting 2023 Christmas Day games

Milwaukee Bucks vs. New York Knicks

Despite Giannis Antetokounmpo's 32-point, 13-rebound, and six-assist effort, the Knicks emerged victorious in a high-scoring affair, 129-122. All-Star Jalen Brunson had 38 points to lead the way for New York, but Julius Randle and two players no longer on their team, RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley, also contributed 20-plus points.

Golden State Warriors vs. Denver Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets, defending champions at the time, took care of business at home, defeating the Warriors 120-114. Stephen Curry performed poorly according to his Hall of Fame standards, recording only 18 points, four assists, and two rebounds. That wasn't enough against arguably the league's best duo, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, who combined for 54 points, 21 rebounds, and 11 assists.

Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers

The Boston Celtics dominated the entire 2023-24 NBA season from the start, and Christmas was no exception. They beat the Lakers on the road, 126-115, improving their record to 23-6 at the time. The most dangerous aspect of this Celtics roster, evident in the NBA Finals, is that multiple players can step up and win a game. This time, it was Kristaps Porzingis who had a double-double with 28 points and 11 rebounds. The best player on the court was Anthony Davis, scoring 40 points and 13 rebounds, but the Celtics' depth was too much for the Lakers to overcome.

Philadelphia 76ers vs. Miami Heat

The Philadelphia 76ers were without Joel Embiid this game due to an ankle injury. Tyrese Maxey didn't step up in his absence, scoring only 12 points. Superstars headline most Christmas games, but the two leading scorers in this matchup were Jaime Jaquez Jr. (31 points) and Tobias Harris (27). Heat's Jimmy Butler was also sidelined with a left calf strain, but Miami still prevailed at home, 119-113.

Dallas Mavericks vs. Phoenix Suns

The largest point differential came in the final game, as the Dallas Mavericks and Luka Doncic defeated the Suns in Phoenix, 128-114. Doncic has the Suns' number dating back to the Game 7 blowout in 2022, and this Christmas game was more of the same. Luka recorded 50 points, 15 assists, and six rebounds on one of the biggest stages as far as regular season games go.

Based on these prior matchups, we can make an educated guess about next season's Christmas Day schedule.